Palestinians: Jibril Rajoub and the "Merry Christmas Group"

Jibril Rajoub, chairman of the Palestinian Football Association and a top official of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank, made the offensive remarks during a recent interview with an Egyptian television station.

Many Palestinian Christians said that Rajoub's derogatory remarks would further heighten tensions between them and Muslims. They pointed out that the top PA official was excluding them from being an integral part of the Palestinian people.

Christians see Rajoub's derogatory remarks as part of the widespread persecution of Christians in Arab and Islamic countries, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Christians over the past few years and prompted many of them to flee to the US, Canada, Australia and Europe.

In an open letter to Rajoub, who previously commanded the PA's notorious Preventive Security Force, and served 17 years in Israeli prison for terror-related charges, Bethlehem Pastor Danny Awad wrote: "We have been here for more than 2000 years... We are not strangers or guests or aliens who speak a foreign tongue."

Rajoub's disparagement of Palestinian Christians is indeed likely to encourage Christians to leave the Western-funded PA areas. Such comments are particularly unwelcome at a time when Christians in Syria, Iraq and Egypt face a campaign of terrorism and intimidation by Muslim extremists.

A senior Palestinian official has enraged Palestinian Christians by referring to them as the "Merry Christmas Group" and accusing them of supporting the Islamist movement, Hamas. Jibril Rajoub, chairman of the Palestinian Football Association and a top Fatah official who previously served as commander of the Palestinian Authority's (PA) notorious Preventive Security Force in the West Bank, made the offensive remarks during a recent interview with an Egyptian television station.

Referring to the Palestinian local elections, which were supposed to be held on October 8 but were suspended due to the continued power struggle between Fatah and Hamas, Rajoub said in the interview:

"Even some of our brothers, the 'Merry Christmas Group,' voted for Hamas [in the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary election]. Today, no one will vote for Hamas. What has Hamas given them? Hamas has brought nothing but destruction."

The interview was later broadcast on the PA's official Palestine TV -- a move that has been interpreted as an endorsement of the attack on Palestinian Christians. Critics argued that Palestine TV should have at least removed the parts where Rajoub hurls insults and accusations against the Christians.

Top Fatah official Jibril Rajoub during his interview with Egyptian television, when he insulted Palestinian Christians by saying: "Even some of our brothers, the 'Merry Christmas Group,' voted for Hamas."

Although Rajoub has since half-heartedly apologized for insulting the Palestinian Christian minority, his remarks continue to draw strong condemnations from many Christians and even some Muslims.

This was the first time that a senior representative of the PA leadership had come out against the Christian community. Many Christians said that Rajoub's derogatory remarks would further heighten tensions between them and the Muslims in the Palestinian territories. They pointed out that by referring to Christians as a "group," the top PA official was in fact excluding them from being an integral part of the Palestinian people.

Rajoub's remarks reflect the arrogant and disrespectful attitude of many in the PA leadership towards Palestinian Christians. This stands in sharp contrast to the PA leadership's public policy, which demonstrates utmost respect for Palestinian Christians and considers them equal citizens and partners in the Palestinian "national project." Judging from the angry reactions of Palestinian Christians, this is not a case where they are prepared to turn the other cheek.

In an open letter to Rajoub, who previously served 17 years in Israeli prison for terror-related charges, Pastor Danny Awad of Baraka Presbyterian Church in Bethlehem wrote:

"We are an inseparable part of the Palestinian people and some of us have died defending the Palestinian cause. We are not a group that came from Mars. We have been here for more than 2000 years. We are not a group to be devalued by you. We are not strangers or guests or aliens who speak a foreign tongue."

Habib Efram, Syriac League President, condemned Rajoub's anti-Christian remarks as "harmful, strange and provocative." Referring to the situation of Christians of the Middle East, he said:

"We longer know from where to receive the blows. We reject and denounce the remarks of the member of the Fatah Central Committee, Jibril Rajoub, and demand a public apology. We also call upon the Palestinian leadership to intervene to correct the situation."

"Christians are the weakest link in the region -- to a point where Christian presence in cities and villages in Iraq and Syria is nearing extinction. If ISIS is finished, what assurances do we have that a new ISIS will not emerge to threaten Christians? We must resist with all available means. Christians must remain in the Middle East. We need to change our methods and we need to have a political program."

Efram's comments signal that Christians in general and those living in the Palestinian territories in particular see Rajoub's derogatory remarks as part of the widespread persecution of Christians in Arab and Islamic countries. It is a campaign that has claimed the lives of thousands of Christians over the past few years, prompting many of them to flee to the US, Canada, Australia and Europe.

Archbishop Theodosius (Hanna Atallah) of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said that Rajoub's statements were harmful not only to Christians, but to all Palestinians. "These remarks are alien to our national culture," he added.

"Palestinian Christians are not a group. Rather, we belong to the first Church in Palestine and we are proud to be Christians. We are not imposed merchandise from the West. The Christian presence in Palestine has a glorious and ancient history. Both Christians and Muslims are proud of this history. These offensive remarks will only make us more determined to stick to our national presence, message, identity and link to this holy land. The remarks do not represent our people or national heritage."

Rajoub's inflammatory remarks came at the peak of the local election campaign and were destined to wreak real damage to Fatah at the ballot boxes. The claim that some Christians had voted for Hamas in the 2006 election has never been verified. But had the Palestinian High Court not suspended the local elections, disgruntled Christians from Bethlehem and other Palestinian cities and villages likely would have voted for anyone but Fatah. Such aspersions cast by a senior PA official very close to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are taken extremely seriously. Interestingly, Abbas himself has not repudiated Rajoub's remarks -- a fact that has added to the outrage among the Palestinian Christian community.

But while Abbas has remained silent on the controversy prompted by his top official, some Fatah officials have joined the calls for Rajoub to apologize.

Acutely aware of the damage that such remarks could cause Fatah, the faction's leaders in Bethlehem, where Christians have over the years become a minority, have taken matters into their hands and offered their own apology. "The Christians are entitled to an apology," said Mohamed al-Masri, Secretary-General of Fatah in Bethlehem. "In Bethlehem, we are one family and there was never a 'group' of people among us. The Christians were always owners of the land and partners in blood, unity and decision-making."

In a move that can only be described as ironic, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have come out against Rajoub's anti-Christian remarks. These groups never miss an opportunity to lash out at Fatah and its leaders, by depicting them as traitors acting against the interests of the Palestinians. Yet for these two Islamist groups to talk about the rights of Christians is laughable. Under their rule in the Gaza Strip, the number of Christians has declined over the two decades from 3500 to 1300.

Earlier this year, Palestinian Christians suffered another blow when Hamas destroyed the ruins of an ancient Byzantine church that was recently discovered in the Gaza Strip. The ruins of the 1800-year-old church were discovered in Palestine Square in the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, where Hamas is planning to build a large shopping mall. Palestinian Christians expressed disappointment over the lack of interest that the international community, including the Vatican and Christian communities around the world, had shown in this case, which they regarded as an assault on their heritage and holy sites.

Similarly, the attack on the Palestinian Christians by a top representative of the Palestinian Authority leadership has also failed to draw the attention of the international community. It must be acceptable, from their point of view, for a Palestinian official to ridicule Palestinian Christians and accuse them of supporting Hamas. Had the comments come from an Israeli official, the coverage might have been a bit different.

Rajoub's incendiary words coincided with a warning about the waning Christian presence in the Middle East, issued by Dr. Hanna Issa, Secretary-General of the Islamic-Christian Commission for Supporting Jerusalem and Holy Sites.

"What is happening in the region, namely the decrease in the number of Christians, is a catastrophe not only for Christians, but also for Muslims," he cautioned. "This will lead to the disintegration of society and make it lack diversity and scientific, economic and cultural competencies because of the Christians who are leaving." After noting that while Christians make up nearly 20% of the Palestinian population around the world, they are less than 1% of the Palestinians living in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, Issa concluded:

"It is in the interest of Muslims in the world in general and the Middle East in particular to preserve the Christian presence in the Arab world and to protect it with all their force. Christian emigration from the Middle East will impoverish the Arab culture and identity."

Rajoub's disparagement of Palestinian Christians is indeed likely to encourage Christians to leave the Western-funded Palestinian Authority areas. Such comments are particularly unwelcome at a time when Christians in Syria, Iraq and Egypt are facing a campaign of terrorism and intimidation by Muslim extremists. Unless the Westerners who are funding the PA raise their voices against such abuse of Palestinian Christians, Christians in Bethlehem may, irrespective of local elections, decide to vote with their feet.

Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist, is based in Jerusalem.

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5 Reader Comments

Harvey • Sep 20, 2016 at 13:26

Some Christians really don't get it, the French the Swedes, Germans, Lutheran, Methodist churches most of the EU think that by being openly hostile and antisemitic towards Israel and Jews will curry favour from the Muslims. IT WON'T, now or ever you are still infidels, period!!

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Chris Moyler • Sep 17, 2016 at 01:28

Christian communities were once present across the entire Middle East.

However, as Islam arose and conquered the entire Middle East, it subjected both the Christian and the Jewish communities to dhimmitude- citizens that were tolerated on payment of the jizya, but by no means a part of the Umma, the mainstream body of Islam.

In our day, Israel has arisen once again as a nation, something that has sent the most profound shockwaves through the Islamic Community of the Middle East. But what then of the minority Christian and Jewish communities that were still present throughout the Umma as Israel once again came into being?

Well, we saw clearly what happened to the Jewish communities. They were all ejected around 48. That should have been a very clear object lesson to the Christian communities that they would experience similar treatment from the Umma.

Every Christian community was therefore forced to make an important choice after 48. They could embrace and welcome the rise of Israel, or they could oppose its rise, in the hope that, by maintaining an inner attitude of dhimmitude, the Umma might grant them an ongoing existence, thereby saving their communities within their present geographical location- wherever that might be.

Sadly, very sadly, most Christian communities of the Middle East have chosen to openly reject Israel in the hope that this might buy them favour with the Umma. However, the Abrahamic Covenant remains in force: "whoever blesses you I will bless and whoever curses you, I will curse."

What the Christian communities must face is the problem of their Replacement Theology, the so-called "Christian" teaching- which is utterly unbiblical- that maintains that God has rejected the Jewish people, because the majority of them rejected the first appearance of Messiah.

This is the teaching that is presently promulgated by the Bethlehem Bible College and its nauseous "Christ at the Checkpoint" conferences. This conference seeks to maintain the lie of replacement and it weaves in South American "liberation theology" to cast Israel as a colonial oppressor.

There is no future, none whatsoever, for those who profess faith in Christ, yet who continue along the BBC route. They will be laughed at and despised by the Umma and will ultimately be completely destroyed by them,again, because of the Abrahamic Covenant.

This is precisely why Bethlehem, which used to be a majority Christian town, is now a majority Muslim town.

It is time for every Christian community in the Middle East to wise up and to go go back to the authentic Jewish root sof the Christian faith. That is where true security will be found. In this regard, father Gabriel Nadaf has taken the lead. Through his relentless affirmation of Israel's right to exist, he has now won affirmation for his people through the granting of their status in Israel as Arameans- a distinct disassociation from Islam.

This brave priest is the true spiritual leader of Palestinian Christians. Those who follow his lead will find the peace he has found under the shelter of Israel, the rightful heir of the land.

Thank you. Chris Moyler

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Tommy Atkins. • Sep 16, 2016 at 15:38

Since when was the Arabised Palestinian culture a Christian culture? The Christian church in the East has sucked up to the Muslim majority in an attempt to say, hey we are all Arabs together. They have been hostile to Israel in the hope that the Islamic majority will be nice to them. It doesn't work. They are infidel too, as much as the Israelis. It's about time the Eastern Christian churches realised who their friends are. It is not Islam.

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George • Sep 16, 2016 at 11:48

Sirs,

I can understand Mr. Toameh's exasperation while I sympathize with his frustration.However, is it not correct to observe that whenever a country is ruled by a Muslim majority, the rights of minorities are, to put it mildly, insufficiently protected?Why should Palestine or Fatah or Hamas, for that matter, behave differently when oppression of minorities is virtually standard official conduct in, for instance, Egypt or Saudi Arabia? Is not the problem of lack of respect for minorities in Muslim-majority societies rooted deeply in their histories and religious traditions? If so, should one not ask whether such roots are permanent or changeable? If the former, is it still possible (in real terms)for significant change to take place in present circumstances, particularly in the Arab/Muslim world? One doubts it but hopes otherwise.

George

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Albert Reingewirtz • Sep 16, 2016 at 07:19

In 1989 I visited the family of a Orthodox friend of mine in the old part of Yeroushalaiim. Their concern was if Israel would keep the city where they lived. They were merchants and it was Friday. They asked us to live before the faithful came out of the mosques fearing for my and their security if they found me with them, an Israeli. Christians in the PA are a fast dwindling community as it is in the rest of the Middle East except in The Jewish state of Israel where Christians are thriving. They now even volunteer to serve in the IDF to protect their country, Israel.